Best Water Bottle Reviews in 2018

We’ve dug up five different specialized bottles that we think are the best for certain purposes, but our pick is undoubtedly the awesome Takeya Originals Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle, 32 oz for most people. If you want something more specialized, however, we definitely have something for you in our fantastic list of great water bottles.

Water bottles are pretty much ubiquitous these days, who doesn’t have one? Here’s the thing: minor tweaks in the design can make a bottle a whole lot better for differing purposes. Whether you want a huge, insulated bottle to keep your water cold all day or something with a filter built right in to make hiking easier there’s a bottle which is perfect for pretty much everyone out there. So, let’s get into our favorites and then we’ll help guide you in the right direction to make sure that you end up with exactly what you need.

Bestoverallpick!

Best overall: Takeya Originals

If you want a fantastic bottle for everyday use, then this 32oz stainless steel water bottle will absolutely make your day.

1. Best Overall Water Bottle

Takeya Originals Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle

Product Rating5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

It’s not a super specialized bottle, but for most people looking for a water bottle this is pretty much the philosophical ideal. With a 32oz capacity and vacuum-insulated, stainless steel construction you can rest assured it’s both durable and long lasting.

It has both a spout and the ability to open a wide mouth. This will let you add ice cubes or whatever else you may need then not have to worry about catching them in your teeth.

It also makes the whole thing astoundingly easy to clean. Best of all? It’s really not that expensive at the end of the day, compared to the utility you’ll get out of it.

Pros and Cons

Hand strap keeps things right where you need them

High-quality plastic exterior

Pocket for your running essentials

Speed nozzle lets you get good sips without spilling

Pocket is a bit small for some phones

Takes a bit to get used to weight

2. Best Biking Water Bottle

CamelBak Podium Big Chill Insulated

Product Rating4.5 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

This vacuum-insulated, 25oz water bottle is made to fit the standard mounts that you’ll find on bikes. It holds a pretty impressive volume of water, but the real draw is definitely the insulation. This water bottle can help keep you with nice, crisp and cold water while you’re on the road through the day. The cap is also ultra-secure, keeping it from leaking down your leg or into your chain which can definitely happen with lesser water bottles.

Unlike most vacuum-insulated bottles, it’s also made of plastic which keeps things fantastically light for those who know that very ounce on the bike counts if you’re into serious road biking.

If you’re looking for a mounted water bottle for your bike, then this is pretty much the perfect option. Accept no substitutions.

Pros and Cons

Vacuum-insulated construction

25oz capacity

Comes in a ton of colors

Super tight closing to prevent leaks

Can be hard to clean super thoroughly, use water only for best results

Has to be squeezed to release water

3. Best Budget Water Bottle

Nalgene Tritan 32oz Wide Mouth BPA-Free

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

Nalgene has a solid reputation and this wide mouthed, 32oz water bottle is perfect for those who are planning on carrying a bottle through the day. Even better, it’s available cheaply which makes it ideal for those who don’t want to spend a whole lot of money but still end up with a great end product.

It comes in a ton of different colors, and has a simple, twist off top that allows you to get long and refreshing gulps from the wide neck. The wideness of the top also allows for an easy time when you need to clean the bottle.

Other than that, it’s pretty simple. Just a big ol’ jug of water that you can easily carry with you through the day. If you want a high-quality water bottle and you’re on a tight budget, then this is the one for you.

Pros and Cons

Super wide mouth for large gulps of water

32oz capacity to last through a good portion of the day

High-quality construction

Simple to use

A bit large and bulky, you’ll want a backpack

Non-insulated, water heats up pretty quick to ambient temperature

4. Best Jogging Water Bottle

Nathan SpeedDraw Plus Flask

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

The Nathan SpeedDraw Plus is a pretty impressive little package, especially for the price. This plastic 18oz water bottle has a hand strap to keep it handy during your run and comes with a pocket which is the perfect size for your wallet, keys, phone, or whatever else you may need to carry.

In addition to that, it also has reflective trim that will light up in low light conditions to help keep you safe along with whatever other safety gear you may have invested in. Add in the racing top which allows for some pretty impressive fluid transfer and you’ve got the perfect jogging water bottle.

It also comes in quite a few colors, allowing you to make sure that you end up with a product which looks good as well as being extremely handy.

If you’re looking for a water bottle to take on your runs, then you could do a lot worse than picking up the SpeedDraw Plus Flask.

Pros and Cons

Hand strap keeps things right where you need them

High-quality plastic exterior

Pocket for your running essentials

Speed nozzle lets you get good sips without spilling

Pocket is a bit small for some phones

Takes a bit to get used to weight

5. Best Water Bottle for Hiking

LifeStraw Go Water Filter Bottle

Product Rating4 /5

Reviewed by: Max Perzon

If you’re looking for a water bottle to accompany you on long hikes, then this 22.6oz bottle might be exactly what you’re looking for.

Using an integrated LifeStraw filter, it can pull nasty bacteria and parasites from the water with little difficulty and keep you safe while drinking from streams and creeks. Whether you’re a backwoods hiker or just going for a day hike the benefit is obvious: you don’t need to carry as much water or stuff to purify it.

It’s a decent size and comes with a caribeener clip to go on your belt or pack as well, making it super convenient to carry while you’re on the trail.

If you want to be out in the woods for longer, while carrying less water, then the LifeStraw Go is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

Pros and Cons

Integrated filter makes water safe

High-quality, durable plastic construction

Belt or pack clip for added convenience

Super lightweight while empty at only 8oz

Hard to draw through the filter

Needs some initial rinsing to remove plastic flavor

What’s Your Water Bottle’s Purpose?

This is the question you need to ask yourself before you start looking for a more specialized bottle than just the junky plastic variants which are available on the market.

There’s a ton of different reasons you might want a water bottle, but it’s not a one-size fits all solution. You’ll want a different bottle when you’re jogging versus when you’re hiking in the back country for instance.

On the Go

If you’re constantly on the go and just looking for a gigantic bottle that’ll hold enough water for most of the day, then you’re in luck… the market is full of them.

Which one you pick out really depends on personal taste. We just recommend going as big as you think you can reasonably carry, no one really wants to lug around a gallon of water all day after all.

Plastic or stainless steel doesn’t matter much here, although we recommend plastic since it’s a lighter material and the weight of the water is going to add up pretty quick once you get over 32oz or so.

Stainless steel and a bit of ice, despite the extra weight, can keep your water cold all day if it’s a vacuum insulated bottle however. That’s important if you live in a particularly hot climate.

We still think that a large plastic bottle is probably the ideal choice for people in more temperate climes who aren’t planning on doing anything overly active during the day however.

Jogging

A jogging bottle should be able to fit easily in your hand so you can carry it more easily while you’re jogging or running.

This will limit your size somewhat, since anything over 24oz or so is inevitably going to be either too long or too thick to carry comfortably during your jog.

You may want to opt for something plastic here as well, although stainless steel is still a good idea in hotter climates.

The main thing, however, is to make sure that you’ve got a good nozzle. This will let you easily get a drink without slowing down rather than having to twist off the top and take a long pull from the bottle you can easily get a decent drink without breaking a stride.

That’s the basic idea anyways.

Hiking

While it might seem like a slow paced activity like hiking would be suited for nearly any water bottle, modern technology brings us some pretty impressive products which can improve your experience overall.

For most people, a larger stainless steel water bottle might be fine. If you’ve spent any time in the woods, however, there’s one thing you know for sure: you’re often around a lot of water that you have to boil to drink.

This means that for longer treks you can save a lot of space in your pack, whether it was for a filter pump, a pot, or even just more water, by selecting a bottle that filters at the mouth.

The main thing to be concerned with here is to ensure that you get a bottle which has a replaceable filter and a sterling reputation. Our recommendation above is pretty much perfect, and a few of our reviewers have repeatedly used LifeStraw products without getting sick.

If you’re looking for something to actually boil water in, however, you may want to look into getting a metal canteen instead of a water bottle. They carry a bit less water, and they’re not exactly our focus here, but there’s a reason that they sell so widely.

Breaking It Down

So, if you’ve figured out which of the above types of activities you and your bottle are going to be undertaking you might wonder if there’s more to it than our recommendations.

So, let’s take a more in-depth look at the qualities which separate the good from the bad when it comes down to water bottle technology.

Material

There are really only two choices when it comes to materials used to construct water bottles. Plastic and vacuum-insulated stainless steel.

Plastic is lighter, cheaper, and generally transparent to let you see the water level. It also doesn’t hold the cold in all that well, which puts it at somewhat of a disadvantage for hotter climates since your water is going to reach the ambient temperature in a hurry.

You’ll also want to make sure that the plastic bottle is BPA free. Even if it’s advertised as such, you may want to keep it out of direct sunlight as much as possible.

Vacuum-insulated stainless steel holds the cold with some style, but it’s more expensive. These also tend to be a bit smaller due to the room taken up by the “insulation” which is really just a space with no air in between the layers.

Not all stainless steel is equal, however, you need to spend a little bit of time to make sure that they don’t impart a metallic flavor to your water. In almost any case it might be a good idea to let them soak overnight and then dump the water, but some will hold that ick forever.

Which you go with will largely depend on what your individual needs are when it comes to temperature. If you don’t mind room-temp water then you can save a lot of cash by going with plastic, but if you need that cold water you may want to sacrifice a couple of dollars and some space on the altar of stainless steel.

Durability

The durability of your bottle can be a huge concern depending on your activities through the day. If your bottle is likely to generally be in your backpack or on your desk, then it’s not quite as big of a concern but your bottle is going to get dropped sooner or later when undertaking heavier activities.

The material has a lot to do with it, steel will always be a tougher material. Thicker plastic bottles can still take a pretty good drop, but they’re not going to be quite as tough.

If you’ve got butter fingers it may be worth opting for steel, but thick plastic is a respectable option for pretty much everyone when it comes to your bottle not cracking or falling apart when dropped.

Nozzles

The nozzle which comes with some bottles is a big concern if you’re getting a bottle for biking or jogging. A good one will let you make sure that you can get a drink without breaking a stride, a bad one will just end up spilling all over you.

Others may want to just get a standard top, since you can get a bigger drink at once, however.

The nozzle needs to be durable, but beyond that it’s personal taste. There’s a pretty much unlimited variety of them on the market, which means that you’re going to want to look around a bit in most cases.

Filters

Filters come in a lot of different forms, and we really don’t recommend those that are marketed for “taste” since they’re going to cost a lot more than a standard water bottle while not really giving you a whole lot more utility than you’ll find with most water bottles.

There’s one exception to this, however, there are water bottles out there that have actual filters in them which can sift out waterborne bacteria and parasites. If they’re marketed this way, however, you need to make sure that you’re getting one which actually works.

For the most part, you’d carry one of these for the same reason you’d carry a survival straw: expediency of clean water. Boiling water or using other methods of purification can be a pain and it’s not really possible to do it on the go.

On the other hand, some of these filters are pretty hard to draw through. This means that they’re really only suitable for certain people, but if you find yourself in the market for one then you can trust our recommendation.

Size

The average disposable water bottle is 16.9oz or 500mL. Frankly, most of us can drain one of those in a hurry when we’re thirsty.

This means you really don’t get much benefit from one smaller than 20oz or so if it doesn’t have some kind of thermal insulation.

The average person needs around 3L of water a day to remain perfectly healthy, according to most studies, but carrying a bottle bigger than 1.5L or so gets pretty ridiculous.

Most people will be well served by a 24oz or 32oz bottle, but if it’s going to reside in your backpack all day then you may want to go a little bit bigger for the most benefit.

Consider the size carefully when you’re picking out your bottle, for longer trips or throughout the day something bigger is more appropriate but for your average runner something smaller may be in order to reduce the carried weight.

Staying hydrated through the day is super important, and getting the right water bottle can make things that much easier.

Ease of Cleaning

Some bottles are going to be harder to clean than others. That much is readily apparent, and you definitely want something that you can clean out easily.

Even with just water you’re going to end up with a little bit of backwash and grime around the rim which can make your bottle nasty in a hurry. Rather than just dealing with it you’re going to want something which is easy to wash.

Even better… there are a lot of models out there which are dishwasher safe. Just rinse your bottle out and throw it in and you’ll be good to go as soon as things are done cycling.

Enhancing Your Hydration

Of course, getting the water bottle is just half the battle. If you have trouble staying hydrated due to the plain taste of water, you might want to consider our advice on the following in order to make sure you get the most out of your water bottle:

In order to properly cool vacuum insulated bottles you’re going to need ice or to pour the water in after it’s been made cold in the fridge. The insulation works both ways, and it’ll take a long time to cool down a well-insulated bottle.

If you get tired of the plain taste of water then you might want to consider adding a couple of citrus wedges. Lemon, lime, and orange all work well and you’ll find that they add some “oomph” to the water.

Dropping ice into even a plastic water bottle can keep things cold through the day. Most of us prefer our water cold. In hotter climates, however, the only way to ensure chilliness is a fridge or vacuum insulated bottle.

Conclusion

If you’re looking to ensure that you stay hydrated through the day, then you may want to invest in a high-quality bottle. Snagging the best water bottle around is a sure way to keep yourself interested, and you’ll be surprised at how small of a cost it can be for an item with such a high amount of utility.